HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Food questions

Food questions

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 8:28 am

by Kpeterson09

When should I put the food in? How long can it stay in tank? Can I use the same food every night as long as it's still good. I've gotta the whole tank heat and humidity situated. Now I have to battle foods.

If i could get food suggestions. I've read the approved lists and everything but they just made my head hurt.

What's your crabs favs?

Do I need to put all the food groups in tank every night??

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Re: Food questions

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 1:06 pm

by AwesomeHermit

I change it every night or two. My crabs mainly like eggshells, spirulina, walnuts, almonds, cuttlebone, and freeze-dried shrimp. If I would give you recommendations, I would need to print out my whole hermit crab food calendar. Perssonally, I would have all food groups

Re: Food questions

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 1:33 pm

by Rawrgeous

I change it every night to two nights depending on what it is. Fresh foods tend to get changed sooner. Hermits are scavengers.so they tend to like things a bit "yuckier" than we would think, so there is no real set time, I just prefer to not attract bugs so I pull fresh foods sooner than later. Leaf litter and bark is a great addition plus a daily animal protein is a great start. Adding things such as egg shells with albium in the tank is a great source of protein and calcium from the shell. If you make sure they get a variety of fruits and veggies and calcium and make sure the foods are safe without additives you will do just fine. viewtopic.php?f=25&t=92554 I found this guide extremely helpful when I first learning about feeding my hermies.

Re: Food questions

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 7:37 pm

by Kpeterson09

Rawrgeous wrote:I change it every night to two nights depending on what it is. Fresh foods tend to get changed sooner. Hermits are scavengers.so they tend to like things a bit "yuckier" than we would think, so there is no real set time, I just prefer to not attract bugs so I pull fresh foods sooner than later. Leaf litter and bark is a great addition plus a daily animal protein is a great start. Adding things such as egg shells with albium in the tank is a great source of protein and calcium from the shell. If you make sure they get a variety of fruits and veggies and calcium and make sure the foods are safe without additives you will do just fine. viewtopic.php?f=25&t=92554 I found this guide extremely helpful when I first learning about feeding my hermies.

Yes I read that this morning. I order some dry food from the hermit crab patch. So we will see what happens.

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Re: Food questions

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 1:12 am

by Rawrgeous

Good choice! I've ordered from them off and on over the years. My crabs have always enjoyed their stuff.

Re: Food questions

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 9:00 am

by GotButterflies

I personally switch my foods out daily. My guys are spoiled/picky. They don't like to have the same food twice. I wish I could get away with that! They can eat a lot of the foods that you eat! Have you checked the safe food list?

Re: Food questions

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 10:09 pm

by curlysister

I have used a lot of different foods from the HCP. If I put those dry foods in, I leave them for 3 days or so. If I put fresh foods in, I only leave them for 24hrs (unless I forget for an extra day, but then they are pretty gross and fuzzy, bleh). I honestly don't pay as much attention to which foods are given which days, as some people do. I do try to give most food groups each feed, and am okay with giving the same thing a couple times in a row.

Re: Food questions

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 1:04 am

by ciaraalston

I struggle to feed mine too. They just don't eat. I've ordered from The Hermit Crab Patch, and Hermie's Kitchen. All dry foods. I put some fresh raspberries in there occasionally. But i change their food about every 2 days. It hurts, cause i feel like i'm wasting it since they haven't touched it, but if i don't i feel like they're neglected. lol. I found a lot of folks on instagram that posted their daily food, and that helps me gauge what to feed mine. I basically copy their general idea, since they feed all the food groups.

Re: Food questions

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 11:06 am

by Hermiesguardian

ciaraalston wrote:I struggle to feed mine too. They just don't eat. I've ordered from The Hermit Crab Patch, and Hermie's Kitchen. All dry foods. I put some fresh raspberries in there occasionally. But i change their food about every 2 days. It hurts, cause i feel like i'm wasting it since they haven't touched it, but if i don't i feel like they're neglected. lol. I found a lot of folks on instagram that posted their daily food, and that helps me gauge what to feed mine. I basically copy their general idea, since they feed all the food groups.

If they're alive, they're eating. They eat such tiny amounts it's almost impossible to detect how much. You'll learn what their favorites are. My crabs favorites, as creepy as it sounds, are crab legs. And now raw liver. And they're picky so what they drag off one day, may seem like it's ignored next time.

Re: Food questions

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 12:16 pm

by curlysister

"If they're alive, they're eating". This was how I guaged my feeding success for many years while they were smaller! LOL! Now that Sonny is so big, I can actually see that some food disappears, but seriously the only way I knew they were eating and drinking when they were smaller was that they were still alive!

Re: Food questions

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 12:49 pm

by Moonlightdreams

curlysister wrote:"If they're alive, they're eating". This was how I guaged my feeding success for many years while they were smaller! LOL! Now that Sonny is so big, I can actually see that some food disappears, but seriously the only way I knew they were eating and drinking when they were smaller was that they were still alive!

Sounds like the opposite of my two. I dump in at least a quarter-sized pile, if not bigger, and the only thing left by morning is a few crumbs. They're eating machines.

Re: Food questions

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 11:25 pm

by ciaraalston

Moonlightdreams wrote:

curlysister wrote:"If they're alive, they're eating". This was how I guaged my feeding success for many years while they were smaller! LOL! Now that Sonny is so big, I can actually see that some food disappears, but seriously the only way I knew they were eating and drinking when they were smaller was that they were still alive!

Sounds like the opposite of my two. I dump in at least a quarter-sized pile, if not bigger, and the only thing left by morning is a few crumbs. They're eating machines.

Oh man I wish! I feel like I'm wasting so much food! Lol

Re: Food questions

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 11:27 pm

by ciaraalston

Hermiesguardian wrote:

ciaraalston wrote:I struggle to feed mine too. They just don't eat. I've ordered from The Hermit Crab Patch, and Hermie's Kitchen. All dry foods. I put some fresh raspberries in there occasionally. But i change their food about every 2 days. It hurts, cause i feel like i'm wasting it since they haven't touched it, but if i don't i feel like they're neglected. lol. I found a lot of folks on instagram that posted their daily food, and that helps me gauge what to feed mine. I basically copy their general idea, since they feed all the food groups.

If they're alive, they're eating. They eat such tiny amounts it's almost impossible to detect how much. You'll learn what their favorites are. My crabs favorites, as creepy as it sounds, are crab legs. And now raw liver. And they're picky so what they drag off one day, may seem like it's ignored next time.

Yeah, and I try to put such small amounts like the size of my pinky finger nail but they still look like it's not even touched. Lol